Venetian blind



o 19, 1939. c. A. LEMP El AL 2,134,098

VENETIAN BLIND Filed June 24. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 2 F/G/ a TH/92.455A. LEMP, LEROY H. PMSSELL,

HTTOE/VEK VENET BLIND @harles A. Lemp and Mercy H. Russell, St. Louis,Mo.

Application June 24, 1937, Serial No. 150,018

5 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to constructions used toregulate ventilation and the passage of light through windows, doors,and the like, and more particularly to a novel Venetian blindconstruction which includes mechanism for independently dropping theupper header bar or raising the lower header bar.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide aVenetian blind construction which includes a mechanism for lowering theupper header bar independently of any movement on the part of the lowerheader bar.

Another object is to provide a Venetian blind which includes means forlowering the upper portion thereof to provide full ventilation and lightpassage at the upper portion of a window or door.

Another object is to provide a Venetian blind which includes an uppercarriage construction which is adapted to be bodily moved to stack theslat elements to provide a clear opening at the top of the Window, and alower carriage construction which is adapted to be bodily moved to stackthe slat elements to provide a clear opening at the bottom of thewindow.

Another object is to provide a blind construction which is adapted tofully regulate the passage of light and the circulation of air through awindow.

Another object is to provide a blind construction which includes meansfor lowering the same from the top towards the bottom, which facilitatescleaning thereof, and the like.

Another object is to provide a blind construction of the Venetian typewhich includes floating slats that may be individually removed forcleaning, or the like, at any time without affecting the remaining blindconstruction.

Another object is to provide a blind construction which is easy toinstall and is simple in operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a blind constructed in accordance withthe present invention installed in a window casement;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the blind and casement shown in Fig. l,the slats being shown disposed substantially vertically, the uppercarriage being shown in a lowered position, and the lower carriage beingshown in a raised position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the upper carriage construction andassociated elements, certain portions being broken away for clearerillustration;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the lower carriageconstruction and associated elements; V

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 5-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 'i'l of- Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 10 is a section on the line Ifll of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, thereis shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a window casement i having installed therein ablind l6 of the Venetian type. A pair of vertically disposed opposedguide members I1 and I8 (Figs. '7 and 8) are fixed to each side of thecasement l5 by'screws l9, or the like. The

members I! and it are of L-shaped cross-sec- 20.

tion and are disposed to provide a vertical'opening between the ends ofthe long legs and a rectangularly shaped 'space 2| between the casementI5 and the inner sides of the said long legs. A rack bar 22 is disposedagainst the short leg of each of the members I8.

The blind l6 includes an upper carriage generally designated 23 and alower carriage generally designated 24. Inasmuch as the construction ofthe lower carriagev 24 is the same as that of the upper carriage 23,only the upper carriage 23 will be described in detail, thecorresponding elements of the lower carriage 2d being accorded the samereference numerals primed as those in the upper carriage 23.

The' upper carriage 23 includes a horizontally disposed bar 25 which isof substantially rectangular cross-section (Fig. 6). The bar 25 isreduced at its "ends to provide narrow projections 26 which are of thesame thickness as the bar 25 (Fig. 3). The projections 26 extend throughthe opening 20 into the space 2|, and fit snugly within the opening 20yet permit free vertical movement of the member 25..

A housing generally designated 30 is depended from the lower side of thebar 25 adjacent one end thereof by screws 3!, or the like. The housing30 includes two identical sections 32 and 33 which have alignedapertures 34 and 35, re-

spectively, therein. The apertures 34 and 35 Within the housing an andfixed to the shaft and 32. A pulley 45 is fixed to an end of the shaft39 and is disposed exteriorly, of the housing 36. Guide elements 46 and41 are formed integrally with the housing sections 32 and 33 and are ofa configuration to overlap the pulley 45 (Fig. 9) to maintain an endlessrope 48, or thelike, in engagement with the pulley 45. Pinions 49 and 50are fixed to the ends of the shaft 36 and are disposed within the spaces2| in cooperative engagement with the rack bars 22, the I shaft 36extending through the openings 20' (Figs. 3 and 7).

An upper header bar 58 is freely mounted upon the shaft 36. Pairs ofhanger straps 5| and 52 are fixed by tacks, or the like, (not shown) tothe upper sideof the header bar 58. Between each pair of hanger strapsare pairs of cross straps 53, each pair receiving in individuallyremovable floating engagement therewith a slat 54 (Fig. 5). Each slat 54has a projection 51 at each end which extends into the openings 20 toretain the slats 54 in a vertical plane. Clips may be used in place ofthe projections if preferred. The slats 54 are removable through flexingan individual slat 54, or raising a section of slats 54 to an angle to'the horizontal.

At the end of the bar,25 remote from the housing 36 is a bracket 55having a bearing aperture 56 through a depending leg thereof whichreceives the shaft 36.

As is stated above, all of the foregoing construction of the uppercarriage and associated elements is duplicated in the lower carriage andassociated elements, although, of course, the lower carriage 24 and itsassociated elements are disposed in opposed relation to the uppercarriage 23 and its associated elements.

There is provided suitable mechanism for changing the ventilative andlight passage positions of the slats 54. A bracket 66 is fixed by screws6|, or the like, to the lower side of the bar 25 adjacent the bracket55. The bracket 60 includes opposed depending walls 62 and 63 which havebearing apertures 64 and 65, respectively, therethrough (Fig. 5). Ashaft 66 has bearing support in the bearing apertures 64 and A wormsegment II is fixed by screws 12, or.

the like; to the end of the header bar 58 in a position to cooperativelyunderlie the worm 61 (Fig. 3)

Operation The operation of the blind is apparent from the foregoingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. As isset forth above, the blind is adapted to be either lowered from the topdownwardly or raised from the bottom upwardly. When it is desired tolower the blind from the top, the cord 48 is rotated in the properdirection which sets in motion the gear chain comprising the pulley 45,the worm 38, and the worm gear 31 to rotate the shaft 36 and the pinions49 and 50 fixed to the shaft 36. The pinions 49 and 50 move along therack bar 22 to lower the carriage 23 and to stack the slats 54 upon thelower header bar 25'. Movement of the cord 48 in the'opposite direction,of course, effects an upward movement of the upper carriage 23 to closethe top window space. The lower carriage 24 is moved up and down in thesame way that the upper carriage 23 is moved down and up.

Adjustment of the angle of the slats 54 is effected through manipulationof the cord 69 which sets in motion the pulley 63, the worm 61 and theworm segment H to move the upper header bar 58 and the pairs of hangerstraps 5| and 52 with their associated cross straps 53 and slats 54.

Many advantages reside in the foregoing blind construction. When it isdesired to clean the upper part of the blind the upper carriage 23 canbe lowered to a position to facilitate this operation. When anunobstructed passage of light and air is desired at the upper part ofthe window, door, or the like, it is only necessary to lower the uppercarriage 23. In providing a lower carriage 24 which is maintained inlateral fixed relation to the window casement, flapping of the blind ina breeze, or the like, is prevented at all stages of adjustment. Otheradvantages are inherent in the blind construction provided.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawings have been given by way of illustration and-explanation and notby way of limitation, the invention being limited only by the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A blind comprising an upper carriage, said carriage including anon-rotatable member and a rotatable member-suspended from saidnonrotatable member, slats suspended from said rotatable member, andmeans for vertically lowering or raising said carriage.

2. A blind comprising an upper carriage, said carriage including ahorizontally disposed member, a housing depending from said memberadjacent one end, a bracket depending from said member adjacent theother end, a shaft extending through said housing and said bracket inlongitudinally parallel relation to the member, gearing within thehousing, a pulley operatlvely connected to said gearing and disposedexteriorly of the housing, a pinion fixed to each end of the shaft, anda header bar disposed between said housing and said bracket and looselyrotatable upon said shaft.

3. In combination, a blind and a window casement, vertically disposedrack bars fixed to said window casement, said blind including an uppercarriage and a lower carriage, each carriage having a rotatable memberand a non-rotatable member, slats supported between said rotatablemembers and suspended iron. the upper rotatable member, said carriagesbeing disposed in said casement for vertical movement, each of saidcarriages including a pinion cooperatively engaging each rack, means forpositively rotating the pinions of the upper carriage, and means forpositively rotating the pinions of the lower carriage, each of saidpositive rotating means including gearing supported by the respectivecarriage and being movable vertically with the said respective carriage,whereby said blind may be optionally lowered from the top or raised fromthe bottom.

4. In combination, a blind and a window casement, vertically disposedrack bars fixed to said window casement, said blind including an uppercarriage and a lower carriage, said carriages being disposed in saidcasement for vertical movement, each of said carriages including ahorizontally disposed member, a housing depending from said memberadjacent one end, a bracket depending from said member adjacent theother end, a shaft extending through said housing andsaid bracket inlongitudinally parallel relation to the member, gearing within thehousing, a pulley operatively connected to said gearing and dis-.

a lower carriage, each carriage including a nonrotatable member, arotatable member attached to each non-rotatable member, slats disposedbetween and connected to the rotatable members, means for rotating therotatable members, means for raising or lowering the upper carriage, andmeans for raising or lowering the lower carriage.

CHARLES A. LEMP. LEROY H. RUSSELL.

